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Vote 1 – President’s Establishment
Vote 2 – Department of the Taoiseach
Vote 3 – Office of the Attorney General
Vote 4 – Central Statistics Office
Vote 5 – Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions
Vote 6 – Office of the Chief State Solicitor
Introduction
I welcome this opportunity to appear before the Select Committee as it considers the 2018 Estimates for Votes 1 to 6. The Committee has been supplied with a detailed briefing document on the various Votes.
I will briefly outline the work of my Department and its proposed 2018 Estimate, as well as outlining the proposed 2018 Estimate allocations for:
- the President’s Establishment;
- the Office of the Attorney General;
- the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions; and
- the Office of the Chief State Solicitor.
While I have certain responsibilities to the Oireachtas in respect of administrative matters in these Offices, they operate independently of my Department.
My colleague, Joe McHugh, T.D., Minister of State and Government Chief Whip, will outline the 2018 Estimate allocation for the Central Statistics Office and will take any questions relevant to that Vote following the Committee’s consideration of the other Votes in my Vote Group.
I am joined today by the following officials from my Department: Martin Fraser, Secretary General;
Mary Keenan, Head of Corporate Affairs; and
Geraldine Butler, Finance Officer.
Vote 1 – President’s Establishment
The 2018 Revised Estimate for the President's Establishment is €4.32 million. This includes some €3 million for pay and administration, with the balance to fund the Centenarians' Bounty. It is estimated that approximately 450 centenarians will receive the Bounty in 2018.
Vote 2 – Department of the Taoiseach
The 2018 Revised Estimate for my Department is €35.9 million which includes €24.9 million for administration costs.
Following the recent review of the work of the Strategic Communications Unit, I am reducing the 2018 funding allocation by €2.5 million to €2.25 million, €2.2 million of which is already spent, and am therefore requesting that the Committee approve a 2018 Estimate for my Department of €33.4 million which is a 9% per cent reduction on my Department’s 2017 Revised Estimate.
I will now briefly outline for the Committee the progress made by my Department on key priorities in 2017 and indicate where we are focusing our efforts in 2018 and beyond.
Support for the Taoiseach and Government
The primary role of my Department is to support me in my executive functions as Taoiseach, to support the Government, and to oversee implementation of the Programme for Government.
It also supports the four Ministers of State assigned to the Department:
- the Government Chief Whip;
- the Minister of State with responsibility for Defence;
- the Minister of State for European Affairs; and
- the Minister of State for Data Protection, who is also assigned to a number of other Departments.
In addition to supporting my work as Taoiseach and that of the Government, the Department’s Strategic Priorities are:
a sustainable economy ;
a better and fairer society ;
strong relationships with Europe and in the World ;
Brexit ;
Leading Government, and making sure that Government acts in a joined up way.
Planning for the future
The Department is also responsible for a range of other issues, such as State Protocol, including commemorations, constitutional issues, relations with the Office of the President, relations with the Oireachtas, Government press and communications, the National Economic & Social Council, the Creative Ireland programme, the Citizens Assembly and the Dublin North East Inner City initiative.
The Department funds a number of inquiries from its Vote, including the Moriarty Tribunal, the Cregan Commission and the Cooke Commission. An important part of my Department’s work is providing a secretariat for meetings of the Government and of Cabinet Committees. The Government has established Cabinet Committees on:
A- Economy;
B - Social Policy and Public Services;
C - European Union, including Brexit;
D - Infrastructure;
E - Health;
F - National Security; and
G - Justice issues.
A Sustainable Economy
Ireland continues to experience sustainable and balanced economic growth. Employment continues to increase, and now stands at 2.2 million. Unemployment was down to 6 per cent in February, the lowest since August 2008 and well below the euro area average. The Government’s focus now is on achieving full employment and ensuring that the jobs that are being created are quality jobs. By this I mean jobs that raise living standards and reward employees – not just in terms of salary, but also with excellent working conditions, work life balance, and benefits including adequate pension coverage on retirement.
That is why on 28th February – together with Ministers Doherty and Donohoe – I launched a five year roadmap for pension reform. It outlines a range of reforms across the Irish pension system, which will ensure that the pension system is sustainable in the face of an ageing population. In particular, it includes the introduction of an auto-enrolment pension scheme for private sector workers with first enrolments in 2022.
Earlier this month, the Action Plan for Jobs 2018 was launched. This year's plan is a more strategic and streamlined document reflecting the key risks and opportunities facing the economy. It outlines 55 actions to be delivered with the target of approximately 50,000 additional jobs. My Department will oversee implementation of the Action Plan for Jobs and the delivery of the Government’s other economic priorities through its support for Cabinet Committee A and its related Senior Officials’ Groups.
A Better and Fairer Society
The Government is very keen to ensure that every sector of society feel the benefits of our recovering and growing economy, and that every region does also.. We must continue to ensure policies and service not only protect the most vulnerable in society but provide opportunities equally for all citizens to learn, work and prosper irrespective of gender, race or social status.
My Department supports the work of shaping and reforming key public services especially those requiring a cross-Government response through Cabinet Committee B. Last week (20 March) Ireland's ratification of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities was deposited with the United Nations. This is a significant landmark for Ireland and its commitment to people with disabilities who have waited more than ten years for successive Governments to deliver.
I have signalled my intention to advance a set of measures to improve gender equality. These measures will promote wage transparency in Irish businesses and address the imbalance at board level where only 17% of board members of Ireland’s top listed companies are female. Government is also looking at options to extend paid parental leave in the first year of a child’s life.
Government is also keen to make childcare more affordable for parents. The initial reforms put in place in 2017 – including the universal subsidy – have already ensured that parents of 67,000 children have benefited from enhanced payments. In 2018, Government expects to make significant progress in terms of enacting the required legislation and supporting IT infrastructure to deliver the new Affordable Childcare Scheme.
I recently visited the North East Inner City, which I have visited on a number of occasions, to witness first hand the work underway to revitalise and support the local community. Significant work is underway by the Programme Implementation Board established last June to oversee the implementation of actions recommended in the Mulvey Report. This involves a strong collaborative effort between the statutory, community and business sectors which is working very effectively to date. My Department continues to support the work of the Board which recently published its progress report for 2017.
Increased investment in the health service must happen in tandem with reform and productivity gains. My Department oversees the health reform agenda through its support for Cabinet Committee E and the related Senior Officials’ Group. Budget 2018 provided a record allocation of funding for health including €55 million for the National Treatment Purchase Fund to reduce long waiting times for treatment.
Significant steps have been taken following the publication of the Sláintecare report by the Oireachtas Committee on the Future of Healthcare, including:
- a commitment to early engagement with General Practitioner representatives on the reform of the GP contract, to support primary care improvements;
- establishment of an independent group to examine the impact of removing private practice from public hospitals. That is up and running and is expected to report later this year; and
- undertaking a recruitment process for an Executive Director of the Sláintecare Programme Office.
The publication of the Health Service Capacity Review in January and the commitment of €10.9 billion in the National Development Plan are also significant in terms of supporting necessary changes to models of care and to meet ever increasing demand.
There is now a very significant new hospital building programme underway.
Housing and homelessness remain a Government priority. We are committed to delivering an increased supply of affordable, quality and accessible housing. In 2017 – under Rebuilding Ireland, the Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness – almost 26,000 households had their housing needs met; 4,000 individuals exited homelessness; 18 family hubs began operations; and there was a 33 per cent increase in Construction Commencement Notices.
To date in 2018:
- the Rebuilding Ireland Home Loan and the Enhanced Long Term Social Housing Lease Scheme have been launched;
- the Affordable Purchase Scheme has been announced;
- the Affordable Rental Scheme is being piloted;
- improvements have been made to the Repair and Leasing Scheme;
- new Planning Regulations have been introduced; and
- the new Guidelines on Design Standards for New Apartments are being finalised.
Minister Murphy is leading implementation of the Plan, but this is a whole-of-government effort which is overseen through meetings of Cabinet Committee D and associated Senior Officials’ Groups.
Strong Relationships in Europe and in the World
My Department supports me in an extensive programme of international engagement. The focus of the programme is on advancing Ireland’s strategic interests; developing bilateral and multilateral relations; enhancing Ireland’s international reputation; and promoting trade, tourism and investment.
In 2020, Ireland is seeking election to the UN Security Council. Our candidature reflects Ireland’s continuing engagement on issues of international importance and the centrality of the UN to our foreign policy.
The Government is committed to further strengthening Ireland’s capacity to represent ourselves effectively on the international stage.
In four cities in the United States over St Patrick’s week I had an extensive set of meetings and engagements with political, business and civil society representatives. This included meetings with the President and Vice-President, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the Senate Majority Leader, the Senate Minority Leader and the Friends of Ireland on Capitol Hill. I also met with the Governors of Oklahoma, Texas and New York, as well as the Mayor of New York.
My main focus was on advancing Ireland's economic and political interests in the US, including reaffirming our strong commitment to membership of the European Union; outlining our priorities in the context of Brexit and the importance we place, in that context, on two-way transatlantic trade and investment; promoting Ireland as a location for jobs, trade, tourism and investment; and, of course, continuing to make the case for US immigration reform.
Last week I had a very successful bilateral meeting with Chancellor Merkel, in advance of the March European Council. The Chancellor reiterated her strong support in relation to our unique concerns arising from Brexit.
In the past few weeks, I have also had very successful bilateral meetings with the Dutch and the Luxembourg Prime Ministers, and with the President of the European Council. I have also invited President Juncker to visit Ireland in the coming months.
Brexit
On becoming Taoiseach – in order to ensure an effective, whole-of-government response to the challenges ahead – I assigned lead responsibility for Brexit to the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade. I have also re-organised the structure of Cabinet Committees, with Cabinet Committee C dealing with European Union issues, including Brexit. My Department maintains strategic oversight of Ireland’s response to Brexit, which is a crucial, cross-cutting issue. This work is led by the Second Secretary General John Callinan, who acts as my Sherpa, and the International, EU and Northern Ireland Division.
The work of this Division includes supporting me in my role as a member of the European Council and in my engagements with other Heads of State and Government and senior figures in the European institutions, and preparing for the work of Cabinet Committee C and its supporting group of senior officials.
The work led by the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade includes the ongoing detailed preparations for the negotiations at EU level; engagement with the administrations in Belfast and London; and the coordination of planning around the economic impacts of Brexit. Across Government, relevant Departments, agencies and overseas missions are also being further strengthened to deal with Brexit.
The objective of this ongoing work is to ensure that Ireland achieves the best possible outcomes across all four priorities identified by the Government. These are:
- trade and the economy;
- the peace process;
- the common travel area; and
- the future of the European Union with Ireland as a committed member.
We are also working to help maintain peace and develop relationships on the island of Ireland, and between Britain and Ireland, especially in light of the challenges posed by Brexit. The European Council – of which I am a member – provides overall guidance and maintains close political oversight of the negotiations with the UK. The European Commission Task Force – with which we are in constant contact – represents the EU 27 in the ongoing negotiations.
Last December, the European Council agreed that sufficient progress had been achieved on the phase one withdrawal issues to allow us to move to negotiations on the framework for the future EU-UK relationship.
Acknowledging the progress in subsequent discussions between the EU and the UK on a draft Withdrawal Agreement, the March European Council adopted a set of guidelines for discussions on that framework.
These confirm the conditional agreement on an orderly transition period, dependent on progress on the outstanding issues in the draft Withdrawal Agreement, including the Protocol on Ireland and Northern Ireland, and the backstop option on the border.
The European Council will review progress on all these issues in June.
Ireland will, of course, remain a member of the European Union. It is therefore crucial that we are active in the debate on the future of the EU, focusing more on what we want to achieve rather than things we want to block. Supported by my Department and the Tánaiste, I have been engaged in intensive bilateral contacts with the leaders of other EU Member States and the EU institutions with a view to exchanging views on the priorities for the EU of the future. These bilateral contacts are vital to defending and promoting Ireland’s interests, which include a strong, stable and prosperous EU.
In this context, I delivered an address to the European Parliament in Strasbourg in January which highlighted the need for a forward-looking agenda for the Union, with ambition and direction.
I have also tasked the Minister of State for European Union Affairs, Helen McEntee, with leading a process of domestic engagement on the future of Europe, so that Irish citizens can have their say on what they want for the EU of the future.
I launched this engagement process – the ‘Citizens’ Dialogue’ – last November, and it is due to conclude on Europe Day, 9 May.
My Department also works closely with colleagues in the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade on Northern Ireland matters. It is very disappointing that we have not yet been able to see agreement on the re-establishment of the institutions of the Good Friday Agreement, even as we approach its 20th anniversary.
The Tánaiste and I will continue to work closely with the British Government and all the parties in Northern Ireland to try to make progress in the coming months.
Planning for the Future
In August 2017 my Department published the National Risk Assessment – An Overview of Strategic Risks for 2017.
It highlighted an intensification of risks arising from Brexit, as well as a more general perception of increased geopolitical instability; risks around climate change; human capital and skills needs; technological risks arising from potential cyber-attacks or data fraud and theft; continued housing supply constraints; changing demographics; and potentially unrealistic expectations for public expenditure. Work on this year’s National Risk Assessment has begun, and we intend to publish the 2018 Report early in the third quarter.
The most important actions that the Government can take to mitigate risks, such as Brexit, and seize future opportunities is to vigorously implement the substantial plans set out in Project Ireland 2040. That will be a significant focus of our attention during this year.
A National Digital Strategy will be developed during 2018 which will provide for an overarching, long-term vision of the impacts of digital developments on Ireland.
In a related area of work, my Department continues to play a support role in Data Protection policy, seeking to ensure that the Data Protection Commissioner continues to have the resources she needs and that Ireland continues to be a leader internationally on digital and data issues.
Finally, my Department also supports the National Economic and Social Council in providing forward-looking, strategic advice on economic, social and sustainable development issues.
The current NESC work programme includes Jobless Households and the Quality of Supportive Services; Climate Change - Governance for Low Carbon Transition; and Land Use, Land Value and Urban Development. The Secretary General and an Assistant Secretary serve as Chair and Deputy Chair of the NESC repectively.
I have outlined for the Committee some of the key outputs of my Department in 2017 and some of the priorities we are working to make progress on in 2018 and beyond. There are always new challenges and the Department must always be flexible and adaptable.
Looking ahead to later this year, for example, the successful organization of the Papal Visit will be a significant objective for the Department.
Vote 3 – Office of the Attorney General
The 2018 Revised Estimate for the Office of the Attorney General is €15.32 million. The majority of administrative expenditure relates to staff salaries which will cost over €11.7 million in 2018.
The next largest expenditure item is the grant of just under €2.3 million in respect of the Law Reform Commission.
Vote 4 – Central Statistics Office
As I mentioned previously, the Government Chief Whip will present the 2018 Revised Estimate for the Central Statistics Office to the Committee.
Vote 5 – Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions
The 2018 Revised Estimate for the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions is €43.5 million
The Estimate for 2018 represents an increase of 6%, or €2.4 million, over the 2017 Estimate. This increase is due to increases in salary costs and an increase in the provision for General Law Expenses.
Vote 6 – Chief State Solicitor’s Office
The 2018 Revised Estimate for the Chief State Solicitor’s Office is just under €33.7 million. Salaries, wages and allowances account for €17.37 million out of a total Administrative Budget of just over €19.68 million. The remaining €2.3 million is attributable to the general running costs of the Office.
A provision of €15.1 million is allocated for the payment of legal fees incurred - €13.5 million for counsel fees; and €1.4 million for general law expenses (which includes items such as expert witnesses and stenographers) and the balance for use of external solicitors.
Concluding Remarks – All Votes
In conclusion, I would like to thank Members for their attention and to commend these Estimates to the Committee.